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A Family Affair

Family ties that bind are especially true among America's
grandparents and their grandchildren. Today, an increasing number
of grandmas and grandpas are assuming the responsibility of taking
care of their grandkids. The number of children under age 18 living
in grandparent-maintained households increased from 2.2 million in
1970 to 2.3 million in 1980, to 3.9 million in 1997, according to a
report by the U.S. Census Bureau. Moreover, a grandparent heads the
household in 3 out of 4 families that have both grandparents and
grandchildren living together. Some contributing factors to the
increase in grandchildren in these "skipped generation" homes
include teen pregnancy, divorce, the growth in drug use among
parents, and the rapid rise of single-parent households.